Destiny's Intervention
by Never Ending Dawn
Summary: A prophecy, seemingly unimportant, forces Destiny to interfere in the life of Uzumaki Naruto. Now Naruto must fulfill the prophecy as he was destined. How will the tale of Uzumaki Naruto unfold when the Fate of Earthland rests on his shoulders?
1. New World, Purpose, and Teacher

**Can't believe i'm publishing another story, but my inspiration is truly out of my control. So here is another story. Destiny's Intervention. I hope it it entertaining to read.**

**_My beta, Vandenbz, corrected this. Thank him for the easier read._**

"Naruto!"

"Sasuke!"

That was the yell of two boys as they locked in a titanic clash. A monstrous child with red eyes and two large hands acting as wings from his back thrust a lightning clad hand forwards. It was met by a blue orb of swirling energy wielded by a blonde haired kid currently cloaked in a red miasma of energy.

"Chidori!"

"Rasengan!"

The two attacks collided, forming a black ball of pure energy around the two. Time seemed to slow down. The two attacks were equal, but the wills of the users were not. Their eyes met. Sasuke's burned with a hatred and insane determination. Naruto's eyes softened though before closing softly in acceptance. A soft smile formed on his face before the Rasengan dissipated. The Uchiha's eyes widened before he gave a vicious grin and thrust his arm forward. The attack pierced the heart of the smiling person in front of him.

Then time seemed to restart and the two fell down, the Uchiha using the shock of when they hit the ground to drive his attack entirely through the blonde. Still though, the accepting smile didn't drop from the blonde's face. Even as the life faded from his eyes.

The Uchiha breathed deeply once the blonde became completely lifeless. He then started chuckling softly before it grew into a loud laugh. One could hear the insanity in the maniacal laugh. Even as he felt his eyes burn, he didn't stop laughing. Even when his hideous transformation receded, he didn't stop. He had done it. He had killed his best friend. Now he had the same eyes as Itachi. Now he could finally fulfill his revenge by killing his brother.

It only died down when he felt a burning on his arm. He looked down to see that a vile red chakra was leaking from Naruto like a faucet. He tried to move back, butit was too late. The red chakra literally exploded in a flash so bright that Sasuke let out a cry as his retinas were burned. He was simultaneously launched backwards with explosive power. He only came to a stop when he crashed into the stone wall of the First Hokage's feet.

He coughed up a bit of blood before looking towards where the explosion occurred with his wavering vision. Naruto's body was…gone. That was the only way to describe it. There weren't even any remnants from the explosion, no marks or burns. Only Sasuke's burned arm and failing eyesight showed that the explosion had happened.

He soon worked himself into a standing position. Grasping his burned arm, he slowly started to limp towards where he was told to find Orochimaru. He would be healed there, and then he could start training his new eyes to defeat Itachi.

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_Just before explosion_

_The Kyuubi sighed as its cage was lit up with an otherworldly light. It didn't even try and struggle. It knew what was about to happen._

_There are certain moments in life that act as crossroads for destiny. As a piece of the Juubi, a fallen god, the Kyuubi was hypersensitive to these moments. As soon as his container had engaged that blasted Uchiha in combat at the Valley of the End, he had seen these crossroads. Dozens of different options and scenarios, all resulting in different scenarios. All of them depended on his container's choices. This was a particularly surprising one. Naruto letting the Uchiha kill him._

_The Kyuubi sighed in acceptance of its fate as it was engulfed in the __light__. It felt a single moment where it was reunited with all __of__ its chakra. That taken by its previous containers, the Gold and Silver Brothers, the leftover chakra from its attack on Konoha, and even the Yin chakra in the Fourth. It was a blissful moment of completion before the Kyuubi simply…ceased to exist._

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_Aftermath_

_The death of Uzumaki Naruto had many long lasting consequences. In Konoha, Senju Tsunade went through a brief depression before she decided that she would be the best Hokage she could be, since yet another one of her precious people __had failed to achieve the position__. She would live for them. Haruno Sakura retired as a ninja due to one teammate being killed and the other becoming a wanted criminal with a death sentence on him. Kakashi also went through a major bout of depression before he too straightened up. He would eventually succeed Tsunade as Hokage._

_The tale of Uchiha Sasuke was short and bitter after Naruto's death. After being healed of his injuries by Orochimaru, Sasuke immediately started training his Mangekyou __Sharingan__. Unfortunately, he was unaware of the Mangekyou's __side-effects.__ He damaged his vision too much before Orochimaru realized the issue. Even after being forbidden from using the Mangekyou, his vision worsened till it failed completely. It seemed the damage his eyes received in the explosion __was__more serious __than__ expected. A month after killing Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke was blind. Orochimaru searched desperately for a way to heal them, but he ran out of time. Ten months later both Sasuke and Orochimaru were killed by Pein for their involvement in destroying the Kyuubi and thus ruining Akatsuki's plans._

_After hearing of his brother's death, Itachi gave up on life. He placed both Uchiha Obito and Pein in Izanami, sacrificing his vision in both eyes. This also proved to be too much coupled with his disease, and he passed away right after performing the deed._

_Uchiha Obito never managed to escape Izanami, unable to accept the death of Rin. Pein managed to escape three weeks after overcoming his hatred. He then met up with Jiraiya, and reformed Akatsuki. He soon led a revolution of the ninja world, just as prophesized. That is a different tale though._

_This tale is about Uzumaki Naruto. A child of prophecy. A person who __will__ decide the fate of a world. A person who destiny did not let death claim. Not yet. Not until he performed his duty._

_(I simply included this to provide closure. I always agonize over what happened in the Naruto world in stories like this. So at least I gave you something to chew over.)_

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In a different world entirely, a figure looked at the ground where a blonde haired child had appeared before him. The figure tilted his head in a mixture of surprise, confusion, and thought. He looked at the surrounding area briefly before wordlessly picking the unconscious child up from the floor. He then started walking with the blonde over his shoulder.

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Naruto's thoughts were muggy. He couldn't think. It felt like he was fighting through a dense cloud of darkness. After seemingly an eternity of struggling through it, he finally saw a light. Once he reached it, he felt himself gain consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes to see a star filled sky above him. His thoughts were taking a while to start up, so he just stared at the sky for several moments.

In the end, it was a voice that caused him to actually leave the daze he had been in. "So you finally awaken. Good. Now you can leave."

Naruto turned his head while still lying on the floor to look at where he was. He was currently lying in a small campsite. There was a small fire with a large log by it. On the log, a figure was sitting. The figure was a young man, with messy black hair and dark eyes. He was dressed in black robes with gold trimmings, with a large white toga over it. Around his neck was a necklace. The person didn't even look at Naruto. He just kept staring into the fire like he was seeing something in there.

Naruto sat up slowly, feeling like his body was being weighed down. He looked around again before asking, "Where am I? Who are you?"

The man immediately snapped, "We are currently in the kingdom of Stella. The nearest town is 80 miles to the southwest. Who I am doesn't matter. Now leave!"

Naruto frowned at that, and replied instinctively, "Hey, don't be such a dick. I just woke up, and have no idea what is going on."

"I don't have a choice!" the man yelled in anger. He then declared, finally looking at Naruto. The eyes Naruto had previously thought to be black were now red with a black ring surrounding them, "Being around me isn't safe." Almost immediately after he finished, he fell to the ground with a pained grunt. He seemed to be holding his stomach in pain, as if trying to hold something in.

Now Naruto was concerned. Dick this guy might be, but Naruto wasn't the type of person to not be concerned when people seem to be in pain. Naruto approached cautiously and questioned, "Hey, are you okay? Is there any way I can help?"

"Get away! Hurry! I can't control it!" the man yelled before he threw his head back and screamed.

A black wave immediately surrounded the man for a moment before exploding outwards. The grass immediately withered and turned to dust when touched by the black stuff. Naruto didn't have time to react though. The wave hit him like Orochimaru's wind jutsu, throwing him backwards.

The wave engulfed everything within a twenty meter radius. When it dissipated, everything was dead. The trees were bereft of leaves and the bark was a withered black color. There wasn't any grass anymore, leaving just brown dirt.

The person looked around before dropping his head with a sigh and stating weakly, "Nothing ever changes, does it? This is my destiny. A harbinger of death." He felt tears start leaking out of his eyes as his emotions overcame him.

"You fucking bastard! That hurt!" A voice screamed out. The man looked up with wide eyes, only to receive a punch to the cheek. He fell to the ground in an undignified pile. A hand soon grabbed his robes and pulled him upwards. He soon found himself face to face with the boy from before. Although he was slightly different. His previously blue eyes were now red, incredibly similar to his own when he used magic. He was also cloaked in a red cloak of magic. He could feel that it was corrosive from where it was touching him, although it wasn't nearly strong enough to actually harm him.

Naruto shook the seemingly catatonic person before exclaiming angrily, "Hello! I'm talking to you! What the hell was that for?"

The person finally looked at him and whispered, "You're still alive?!"

Naruto frowned and replied, "Of course. That blast of yours hurt like a bitch, but it wasn't nearly enough to put me down. Why?"

The man just muttered, still in shock, "Look around you."

Naruto raised an eyebrow before following the suggestion. Naruto finally got to see the ring of death that surrounded the duo. His eyes widened as he realized what that wave had done. His panic rose even further when he saw the red cloak coveringhim. Even more when he felt it. This was different from the Kyuubi's chakra. It was…purer somehow. It also seemed to respond to his will because it receded as soon as Naruto wanted it to. He soon managed to shake out of his shock though. He'd figure out what was up with the Kyuubi later. For now he had to deal with this guy who apparently sent out a wave of death at him.

Naruto turned back to the man who was slowly standing, while still looking at Naruto in a mixture of disbelief and awe. Naruto pointed at him and angrily demanded, "What the hell is this?"

"That is my magic," the man mumbled in response, still seemingly awed by Naruto's survival. He then added, "I can't control it."

"Magic?" Naruto asked in confusion before shaking his head to get back on topic. He pointed at the man and exclaimed, "So you just let out waves of death randomly. That's insane."

"Insane or not, that is what happens," he muttered. He now scrutinized Naruto so intensely that Naruto took a step back. The man moved too quickly though. Faster than Naruto could even see the man appeared in front of him and grasped his head. He then muttered, "Now who are you to survive my death magic?"

Naruto would have struggled if he could. Instead he was frozen in place as it felt like ice had started flowing through his veins. This man was doing something to him. Naruto knew almost instinctively he was examining his body and very soul. Naruto just had to go along with it.

The man was muttering with his eyes closed in concentration, "Interesting. Bound to a demon at birth, you were also given a great destiny…I can feel the death on you. Destiny interfered. Brought you back. Destiny is not so easy to cheat. You have to fulfill your destiny. You shall…either save the world or destroy it. Another Child of Prophecy succeeded in your world though, so it sent you here. Erased the demon and used its power to give you a source of magic. It is also why my death magic didn't affect you. Your magic protected you. You are also cursed. Magic derived from the power of a demon…I see…We did not meet by chance." He finished with that final statement and removed his hand.

Naruto immediately gasped and fell to his hands and knees. His breath came out in heavy gasps. That was…intense. It was like all his secrets were laid bare. Even those he himself didn't know.

It took a minute for Naruto to regain his composure. He then looked at the man, who was still staring at Naruto stoically, in slight fear. Stubborn and reckless he might be, but Naruto knew when he was outclassed. This man…he was even worse than Orochimaru. Than Uchiha Itachi. It was the same feeling as what standing before the Kyuubi was like. Standing before a being that was so much more powerful than you that they might as well be a god, and unlike the Kyuubi, this man wasn't trapped in a cage.

Naruto finally managed to regain enough of his bluster to demand, "What is going on?!"

The man just tilted his head while looking at Naruto before gesturing to the now dead log and miraculously still alive fire and ordered, "Sit. I'll explain."

Naruto reluctantly nodded and took a seat on the edge of the log, as far from the man as possible. He then waited for the man to start speaking. After almost five minutes of silence beside the fire, the man started.

"There are certain forces at work in each universe that are the closest things to gods in existence. They aren't able to be understood by humans though. They are utterly alien, completely unrestricted by the same rules as mankind. One of these is Destiny. There are beings who are marked by Destiny for a higher purpose. It may not always be clear or what we expect, but it is certain. You are one such person. It was prophesized before your birth that you would either bring peace or destruction to the world."

"Whoa, whoa," Naruto quickly exclaimed while crossing his arms to form an X. He then declared, "I don't believe in all that fate bullshit or whatever you want to call it."

"Fate and destiny are very different," the man claimed with a small chuckle.

"Huh? I thought they were the same thing?" Naruto asked, confused.

"They can seem so to the ignorant," the man stated, angering Naruto. He started speaking before Naruto could do anything, "The general belief among those like myself who know of these powers is that fate is the belief that every one of a person's decisions is predetermined. This is false. There are thousands of possibilities on how things can go. Destiny is very much real though. Destiny is where a single event is bound to happen. How we end up there is a result of our own decisions. In essence, we choose our paths. All these paths eventually lead to this one singular event though, with the result depending on the path you took. Your own decisions. Understand?"

"I think I do…Kinda," Naruto claimed with his face scrunched up in thought.

The man sighed slightly at his answer, but still continued, "There was actually a lie in there though. Not all paths end up at that singular event. The vast majority do, but there are certain cases where you don't end up at this event. When you die…Tell me about what the last thing you remember is."

Naruto lowered his head at that, his hair covering his eyes. He could remember clearly. He didn't want to speak, but he still found his mouth opening, "It was at the Valley of the End. Sasuke had defected to join Orochimaru. Everyone got split up by the Sound Four. In the end, I was the only one left to confront him. I-I tried to talk to him. Convince him to come back, but he just wouldn't listen. We ended up fighting. I soon tapped into the Kyuubi's chakra and he used his Curse Seal. W-We then used our finishing moves…"

"Finish!" the man ordered sternly.

Naruto took a deep breath before announcing, "I could have beat him. I could have easily drawn up more of the Kyuubi's chakra to overpower him, but I couldn't do it. I had so many thoughts running through my mind. I considered doing so many things. Finally I just…gave up."

The man stared at Naruto with surprise clear in his eyes before he spoke up, "You…let him kill you…Why?"

Naruto now stared into the fire as he thought before finally responding, "I couldn't do it. I remember the Old Man telling me. 'Never attack or turn your back on a comrade. If you do, then you are nothing more than trash.' Sasuke was a comrade. My brother in all but blood. I couldn't follow through."

"But he attacked you. He was the traitor. The trash!" the man spoke, anger entering his voice for the first time.

"Maybe," Naruto admitted. Knowing Sasuke had followed through and killed him was a deathblow to any desire to defend him. He then continued, "But that was his choice. I couldn't make it for him. All I could do was…make my own choice. Follow my own path."

The man just stared. He…couldn't understand. To follow your own convictions and ideals to such a degree. It almost seemed…inhuman. He basically let a traitor kill him, and accomplished nothing. He simply couldn't understand. He'd been hoping for death for centuries, but that was because he'd learned that life is cruel. To give one's life for an ideal simply was…alien to him.

He finally just shook his head and stared, "Well, you died. You chose one of the few paths that didn't lead to that huge event of your world. Destiny can't be cheated so easily though. You shall eventually bring peace or destruction to the world. Just no longer your own world. Destiny interfered and brought you back to life. It couldn't put you back in your own world though. Your choice led to another Child of Prophecy taking your place as a savior or destroyer. So it placed you in a different world. This one."

Naruto blinked before it finally registered. He then stood up with a disbelieving yell. He then pointed at the man and screamed, "What the hell do you mean?! You must be crazy, man!"

The man rolled his eyes and ordered, "Sit!"

Naruto acted without conscious thought to the commanding tone. He then scowled when he realized it. He quickly snapped, "Still think you are crazy."

The man sighed and thought before saying, "I guess you'll have to feel for yourself the changes that Destiny made to you when sending you to this world. Reach inside of yourself and grasp the power inside."

"You mean my chakra?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that what the shadow of the energy I detected on you is called in your world?" the man asked before shaking his head and adding, "Yes, call it up."

Naruto stared at him suspiciously before reaching for his chakra. He frowned when he simply didn't feel it. He put his hands in the ram seal and tried even harder. His frown grew when he still couldn't find it. Finally, he found a warm energy. He immediately pulled on it. He opened his eyes in surprise when he felt the energy expand out of his control. He then yelped when he saw that he was surrounded by the Kyuubi's purer energy. He was about to will it away when his eyes widened in surprise. This felt different. Even more than it being purer than before.

"That is magic. The energy of this world. It is comparable to your 'chakra.'" the man explained.

"What are you talking about? This is just the Kyuubi's chakra. It just feels…different than usual," Naruto claimed defensively.

"Is that the demon you were bonded to?" the man asked. Naruto hesitantly nodded, so the man continued, "It's gone. I felt its shadow. Very powerful beast. Even I would be hesitant about fighting it. Destiny erased it though. Used its power to give you magic."

"The Kyuubi can't be gone. It is immortal," Naruto quickly argued.

The man immediately snorted and replied, "Immortality is a lie. I know this particularly well. Something may be hard to kill or be unaffected by time, but anything can die. The proper circumstances and conditions just have to be fulfilled. This 'Kyuubi' is gone. The bond created between the two of you at your birth is gone. Some part of you must already have sensed this. A bond like that doesn't disappear without being noticed."

_The Kyuubi is gone. _That caused Naruto to stumble backwards before sitting back down on the log in a daze. _The Kyuubi is gone. _The man is right. _The Kyuubi is gone._Naruto simply knew that it was the truth. _The Kyuubi is gone. _He just didn't know how to react. _The Kyuubi is gone_. Naruto had accepted the fact that the Kyuubi would always be with him. _The Kyuubi is gone_. That he would die without the Kyuubi being sealed in him. _The Kyuubi is gone. _The knowledge that he was now free of the burden that had plagued him his entire life was…simply mind-blowing. _The Kyuubi is gone. _Despite all the trouble it had caused him, the Kyuubi had been the one constant in his life. _The Kyuubi is gone. _Naruto simply didn't know how to take this news. _The Kyuubi is gone. _It was truly a life altering event for him…_The Kyuubi is gone._

Naruto had no idea how long he sat there taking in this knowledge, or how long he would have sat there if the man didn't finally snap him out of it. The man had apparently grown tired of waiting and spoke up, "So you now understand. This isn't your world. You have been sent here to fulfill a task."

Naruto looked at him blankly before shaking his head and asking with a bit more self-awareness than before, "…Say I believe you, which I don't. I find this destiny talk to be a bunch of crap. What 'task' do I have to fulfill?"

The man now looked at Naruto intensely before announcing, "I don't believe our meeting was by chance. No. I believe your task, the results of which shall either save or destroy this world…is to kill me."

Naruto just blinked in utter confusion before asking, "Why?"

The man sighed before poking the fire and explaining, "My name is…Zeref. I am likely the greatest threat to this world."

Naruto scratched his head and looked Zeref up and down before commenting bluntly, "No offense dude, but I don't see it."

Zeref chuckled before claiming, "Yes, I am not exactly intimidating in my current state, but the potential for chaos and death contained within my body and psyche is at a level that hasn't been seen in centuries." Naruto just stared, disbelieving. Zeref sighed and then muttered, "I see you need a better explanation. Sit down then as I explain to you the tale of Zeref, the most evil and powerful mage to ever exist. The tale that has long since been lost to the ages."

"I was born over four hundred years ago. This world was far more unstable and dangerous back then. When I was twelve, the town where I lived was slaughtered by a large group of rogue mages. I…was the only survivor. I did not come out unscathed though. That much death can warp and twist the world. I was cursed with terrible powers. Powers over life and death. My abilities have since been referred to as the Black Arts. My death magic is what you saw earlier."

"With such great and terrible powers at my fingertips and the trauma of the massacre still present…I fell to darkness. I mastered my powers and brought an age of darkness to the world. I ruled with an iron fist, creating demons and slaughtering those who opposed me without mercy. In a way I brought order and peace to the world, but it was a peace saturated with the blood of my opponents. I eventually went a step too far. I mastered my powers to such a degree that I lifted the grasp of time and death off of myself. I achieved a form of immortality. This was the final straw for the people I ruled over. Hundreds of mages came together and sacrificed their lives in order to defeat me the only way they could. Even with the world aligned against me, they couldn't kill me. So they sealed me. Locking me away for all eternity."

"They underestimated my power though. Less than a century later, I managed to break free…partly. My darkness, my hatred was still sealed for a time. During that time, I managed to regain my humanity. My light. So that when my darkness was unsealed, I still retained control of myself…It will not last though. Eventually, my darkness shall once again surface, and a new age of darkness shall once again cover this world. Even worse than before. To prevent this…you must kill me."

"Whoa, whoa!" Naruto exclaimed while waving his hands before continuing, "What do you mean. I get that you were a bad guy and all, but why not just make up for it? Repent for your sins and all that stuff?"

Zeref's eyes were clouded with emotion and he answered, "Impossible. You saw what happens around me. My death magic is out of control. I am a danger to all those around me, which is why I have spent the last three centuries in seclusion. There is a different danger as well. Time still affects me, even if not physically. It wears on me, punishing me for my temerity in defying it. A human is not supposed to live this long. My reason. My logic. My very sanity wears thin. Eventually it will change me. My darkness shall once again surface when my compassion withers from time, and a new age of darkness shall once again cover this world. Even worse than before. To prevent this, someone must rise to the task of killing me."

"And I'm supposed to be this person? I know I'm awesome, but come on. There have to be some powerful people in this world who can do it instead. You can also just kill yourself, even if that is a really sucky way to go," Naruto exclaimed uneasily.

Zeref shook his head before claiming stoically, "You think I haven't thought of that? No, it isn't possible. My immortality prevents it. While I can be killed, there hasn't been one that has reached a level where they can defeat my immortality. I am even immune to my own death magic when it is cast by myself, the only thing that could possibly kill someone like me. One who wields the power of a dragon might be able to accomplish it, but the chance of one strong enough arising in time is slim to none."

"Dragon?" Naruto repeated in confusion. Those things were real in this world. Holy crap! Naruto shook his head to get rid of those thoughts and asked, "Then how am I going to manage it? I'm still just a genin, my chakra is gone in place of this weird magic stuff, and now I don't even have the Kyuubi sealed in me."

Zeref looked at Naruto and announced, "I shall train you, that is how. My Black Arts aren't something that can be taught. They are a cursed power that shouldn't be in the hands of mortals. I was cursed with them, and only another cursed being can wield them. Your magic is derived from a demon who once was a piece of a fallen god. You were sacrificed at a young age to be the container of evil. You too are cursed. You are the only other being I have encountered who has the potential to learn my Black Arts. I am immune to my own magic when I am the caster, but these cursed powers being wielded by another could finally end me."

"So…you'll teach me?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"Yes," Zeref answered simply.

Naruto scratched his head. He still couldn't say he understood the situation completely. He was apparently in a different world, and now someone was saying it was his destiny to kill him. There was simply too much missing for even the smartest person to truly know what the situation was like, and Naruto was far from the sharpest tool in the shed.

Finally he shrugged and pointed at Zeref before declaring, "Okay, I don't really understand what is going on, and I still call bullshit on this whole destiny stuff. What I do understand though is that you are apparently super powerful, and are willing to teach me. I don't want to be weak or anything, so if you can make me strong…then I guess that is enough for me right now."

Zeref actually chuckled. What a weird person. Basically ignoring everything he says besides that he is willing to teach him. Oh well, he'll take what he can get. He looked at Naruto and responded, "I guess that is enough for me as well, but know this. Even if you don't believe in destiny, the day shall arrive when us two clash in a battle to the death…and the fate of the world will be decided on the outcome."

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5 Years Later

"One more time, Naruto!"

Naruto breathed deeply as he bent over with his hands on his knees. He looked up weakly, looking through his sweat soaked bangs. Standing before him, Zeref was standing there imperiously. Looking down at him like he was a god observing a mortal struggle.

Naruto straightened and bared his teeth as he forced himself to gather up the required magic from his practically exhausted reserves. Once he managed to squeeze the required amount out, he concentrated on molding it. Death is absolute. Death is the end and the beginning. Only those willing to die are worthy of taking a life. There is no fear or regret. Only purpose and certainty. Master death, and use it as a weapon against those who you have judged. The final judgment.

As Naruto immersed himself in these words, black magic started to leak from his body. His eyes burned a blood red. With a final shout and push, Naruto sent a wall of the death magic forward with a yell of, "Death Blast!"

Zeref didn't move before the wall of magic that left only death in its wake. It connected with him. The only sign it having any effect was the step back he had to take to balance himself. In the end he was the only living thing left in a long stretch of land from Naruto to twenty yards behind him.

Naruto immediately fell to his hands and knees, desperately gulping air. Zeref sighed before announcing, "Good, but not good enough. Not nearly enough to overcome my immortality, but enough that it should affect all but the most powerful of magical beasts. You will have to improve the strength behind it if you ever hope to kill me with it. Your control is good though."

Naruto finally managed to recover enough to retake his feet. He quickly snarled back while glaring at Zeref, "I told you, I don't want to make it even more powerful."

The two glared at each other for several moments. This was a topic they had repeatedly fought over. While Naruto had quickly learned to use death magic, it was nowhere near as powerful as Zeref's. Only natural since Zeref had truly mastered the magic. As Naruto's death magic became stronger and stronger though, it became harder to control. By now he could only use it on a person he would have absolutely no regret about killing. The slightest hesitation or doubt would make his death magic go out of control when he called on it. If it became any stronger, then his control would waver even more. If it reached the level required to kill Zeref, his control would be so bad that his death magic might very well escape randomly like it did for Zeref. The only way to gain control at that level is to not care at all about life. When one has attachments or appreciates life, their acceptance of death decreases. Only those who accept death fully are capable of harnessing it in their magic. Naruto did not want to end up in the exact same position as Zeref. Forced to isolate himself to protect others or become a heartless killer.

This had become a common dispute between the two. Zeref was of the opinion that only death magic could kill him. Naruto instead had resolved to kill him with his other magic. Compared to his death magic, Naruto's ability with his living magic and his inborn magic style was far greater. He hoped that this would allow him to kill Zeref without reaching a level where his death magic became a danger to all those around him.

Zeref just sighed and walked away as he called back, "Wash up. I'll make dinner."

Naruto just sighed and hobbled his way over to the nearby lake. The surrounding vegetation was dead due to his workout with death magic, but the water remained remarkably clear. Naruto quickly stripped of his sweat covered clothing and waded in. He sighed in relief as the cold water started cooling down his body. Despite not doing a physical workout today, intense magic use could increase the temperature of a body. He took a few minutes to thoroughly enjoy the water and cool his body down before he started washing the sweat from his body.

When that was done, Naruto made his way over. He drew upon his recovering reserves of magic to cover his body for an instant in a cloak of red magic. It quickly disappeared though to show a completely dry Naruto. He then moved towards his clothes that he had thrown on the ground. He picked them up, his nose scrunching when he noticed the rather ripe smell of them. The red magic surrounded the clothes for several seconds before dying down to show the clothes completely clean and scent free. The sweat and impurities burned away by his magic. Naruto quickly slipped them on.

Naruto had changed greatly in the five years since arriving in this world. He had arrived a rather skinny and undeveloped twelve year old, but now he was a well formed young man of seventeen. His hair was still the bright blonde of before, but the spiky nature of it had lessened over the years. Kept about the same length as Zeref's hair, the only difference was that Naruto's was still spikier than Zeref's. Well that, and the color. His eyes were the same cerulean blue, although they turned a blood red when he used magic. The shape had sharpened somewhat though. The shape of his face had similarly sharpened, losing much of his baby fat and his jaw becoming a bit more prominent. His skin still had the same tanned skin tone that indicated how much time he spent outside. A rather large difference was in his whisker marks. Since the loss of the Kyuubi, they had grown fainter over the years. While still there, they were now faded enough that only when someone examined his face closely could they be noticed.

His body had changed the most. His height especially. Compared to the tiny 4'10" he had been when he arrived, he was now 5'11". It wasn't truly tall, but it was just enough above average that Naruto was proud of it since he had developed a small complex about his height as a child. He was clearly built to be more sturdy then tall, based on his broad shoulders and muscles. While not body builder sized, his muscles were a bit larger than someone who had a slimmer build.

Naruto's clothes were simple and efficient. He had briefly worn his orange jumpsuit and even his own version of Zeref's clothing, but had soon gone into a town to get an outfit that he was comfortable fighting and training in. A black muscle shirt covered his torso, leaving his muscled arms bare. His bottoms were a pair of dark green cargo pants, and he wore a set of black combat boots. The only two extra things he wore were a burnt orange sash around his waist for a splash of his favorite color, and the green jeweled necklace he got from Tsunade.

After stretching, Naruto headed towards where their camp was. It only took a few minutes. He arrived to see Zeref cooking. Naruto sighed and sat down on the stump beside him. Silence stretched between the two of them.

Zeref finally broke it by declaring, "The time has come, Naruto."

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows in thought for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. He gaped for a moment before demanding, "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. The time has come for us to separate, Naruto," Zeref claimed stoically.

"But you still have so much left to teach me! You are still so much stronger than me!" Naruto argued with a pronounced frown.

"I am still far stronger than you, true. I do not have more to teach you though," Zeref explained softly. He then looked at Naruto intensely before continuing, "You have reached a point where you will progress faster on your own. Experiencing your own adventures and fighting your own battles. You must grow into your own person. While we have had disagreements over your death magic, you are still proficient in it. Your skill in living magic surpasses my own, even though you have yet to use it to create something equal to the demons I have. Your ability with your own magic is amazing as well. Now you just need experience, challenges that push you to your limit. You can't achieve that in isolation with me. So we must go our separate ways."

Naruto opened and closed his mouth several times as he thought of an argument before sighing and replying, "I guess you're right."

Zeref raised an eyebrow before commenting, "I'm surprised you aren't arguing."

"I'm not stupid. I knew this day was going to happen eventually," Naruto retorted in annoyance. He took a deep breath before admitting, "I just didn't know it was going to happen so soon. I have spent the past five years solely in your company besides several brief trips into town for supplies. I'm just a little nervous to be on my own again."

"I guess that is a reasonable worry," Zeref admitted before continuing, "Regardless, it has to happen sooner or later. Better to get it over with sooner rather than later then."

"I guess," Naruto replied with a hint of sadness in it.

"Then it is settled. Tomorrow we shall part ways," Zeref announced as the food finally finished cooking. The two spent the rest of the night in silence.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx

The next morning found the two black art users moving. Naruto hadn't questioned Zeref that morning when the immortal mage had told him to follow. Since then not a word had been spoken. The two moved quickly, as two mages of their levels should. The main indication of their future course was when Naruto smelled the fresh salty smell of the ocean.

They finally stopped once they crested the edge of a rocky mountain. This displayed a clear view of the ocean, and the small port sitting on its edge. Zeref gestured with his hand before explaining, "We're currently at the north edge of Caelum. That town is called…Edium Town, if I am not mistaken or it hasn't been renamed in the time since I was last here. I want you to go down there and catch a boat to Fiore."

Naruto raised an eyebrow before repeating in a questioning tone, "Fiore?"

"Yes," Zeref answered with his eyes glazing over slightly as he elaborated, "The strings of destiny have been gathering recently. They seem to be forming over Fiore, creating many different crossroads of destiny. Many significant events shall soon happen in that country, events which will shape the future of the world. That is the best place for you."

Naruto looked at Zeref skeptically. Naruto still hadn't bought Zeref's talk of destiny over the years, not that it seemed to deter the immortal at all. Zeref seemed certain of his belief in destiny.

Naruto had been taught almost all of Zeref's skills over the years, but he still wasn't capable of sensing higher powers like Zeref claimed and acted like he was capable of. Zeref even claimed he had only gained the ability when he was over two centuries old. Almost a way of saying that he'd lived long enough that he couldn't be considered mortal anymore. Like he had ascended to something greater.

Personally, Naruto thought it was a side-effect of his fraying sanity. He had simply started growing delusional and senile. The only reason Naruto had even agreed to eventually kill Zeref was because he understood Zeref's plight. Zeref wanted to die, but there was simply no way for him to do it himself. It was almost like a never ending prison. If that meant that Naruto had to grow to a level where he could end his mentor, then so be it. It was a kindness in Naruto's opinion.

Fiore seemed just as good a place to start his own journey though. It was one of the most magically active countries. More guilds, magical creatures, and thus was one of the countries the Magic Council focused on the most. If Naruto wanted to face challenges and grow stronger, it was an ideal starting point. So Naruto nodded and replied, "Alright. Fiore seems like a good place to go to first."

"Good," Zeref stated. He then looked at Naruto intensely and added, "You need not bother looking for me. Eventually we shall meet again, when destiny wills it."

"I get it already," Naruto grunted out while rolling his eyes. Hesitating briefly, Naruto took a deep breath before looking at Zeref and exclaiming, "Since it seems like we'll be parting for a while, I guess I should get this out there…I want to thank you. I really don't know what would have happened to me or where I'd be if you hadn't helped me when I arrived. You've taught me magic, and helped me adjust to this world. So…thanks. These past five years were…nice."

Zeref looked slightly surprised at the admission, but smiled softly before replying, "It's alright. I…had fun, I guess. In all my life, you might be the closest thing to a friend I've ever had. So I thank you for that."

Naruto grinned and scratched his head in slight embarrassment. He took a breath and started walking down the mountain towards the town. Twenty feet away though he turned around partly to wave at the solitary Zeref and yelled out with a large grin, "See ya, Zeref. When we see each other again, I'll show you how much I've grown. I'll definitely help you then. It's a promise of a lifetime." He then turned back and didn't look back again.

Zeref chuckled at the declaration. He soon grasped his chest with a strained hand and whispered to no one in particular, "Grow strong quickly, Naruto. I'm not sure how much longer I can suppress my darkness. You must end me before that or I fear that it will be too late. Do not make me look down on your dead body. I think any light I have would be extinguished if that happens, and with it…the light of this world."

**There it is.**

**Yep, Zeref. He seem like he's going to be the big bad guy in the future, so i'll be playing on that. Now Naruto is the apprentice of Zeref who is tasked with killing him. So Naruto knows both death and living magic, but he also has a third magic which i'll elaborate on next chapter. I'm still working out a few details for it.**

**Please do not question the whole Destiny thing. Not a really solid explanation, but it works for getting Naruto into the Fairy Tail world. And for clarification, the Kyuubi is gone. It is a nonentity in this story.**

**Unlike my other stories, i'm not going to say what the relationships Naruto will be having. I will only say one thing, and then you'll have to wait. Naruto will not be with Erza. She's sexy and stuff, but she is so overused just because she is a redhead like Naruto's mother. Literally half the stories in this crossover are focused on Erza. I'm not a big fan of her in the first place, and so she won't be getting any Naruto love. I'm keeping everything else a secret.**

**Hope you review and tell me what you like or didn't like.**


	2. The Taniwha

**Here is the next chapter of Destiny's Intervention.**

**Geez, just read the newest Fairy Tail chapter. Silver, devil slayer, Tartaros, etc. That literally messed up a number of my plans. Annoying because i now have to fit in these revelations to my plans. Oh well, had to expect it. Wonder what E.N.D. is though, since it is apparently the final or best spell in the book of Zeref. That is bugging me the most.**

Naruto yawned as he leaned against the railing of the boat he was on. After leaving Zeref, he had quickly found a boat that heading towards Fiore. He had boarded just before night arrived. The boat had sailed throughout the night, and the sun had risen. The captain said it would only be an hour or so till they arrived at the port Naruto was going to get off at.

Not able to see land yet, Naruto headed below deck to eat a meager breakfast. It was just salted fish, but it was enough. Better eat a little then nothing. He then washed it down with a few swigs of rum, far too little to have an effect on the very alcohol resistant Naruto.

As he started digesting though, he heard a yell from up top. Naruto quickly shot up. When he arrived on the deck, he quickly saw many of the sailors running to posts in a panic. Naruto quickly made his way to the captain and demanded, "What is going on?"

The captain, a gnarled old man who had the look of a sailor who had seen some serious shit, gave Naruto an evil eye for the demand before sighing and pointing in a direction while explaining, "The crows nest just reported that Balo Port is being attacked by a taniwha. You can see the smoke."

Naruto immediately turned and narrowed his eyes. He quickly picked up the aforementioned smoke, but his sharp eyesight was able to pick up more than that. He saw tentacles gripping and ripping up the port, and a large form seemingly dragging itself out of the water.

"A taniwha?" Naruto repeated for confirmation.

"Yes, a taniwha. A sea monster that-"

"I know what it is. I just wanted confirmation," Naruto interrupted while narrowing his eyes in thoughts.

Taniwha tended to be a big problem. Unlike many monster species that reproduced similar to humans like vulcans, many monsters only come into being when regular animals are warped by areas of very dense and concentrated magic. Taniwha were one of these creatures. While thankfully not as dangerous or powerful as hydras or kraken, taniwha tended to be more dangerous to humans. Hydras and Kraken usually stay to relatively isolated waters, taniwha almost always settled near human ports and attack vulnerable ships. Usually classified as high A-class monsters, particularly large ones can be classified as S-class. If this one had the gall to attack a port directly, then it definitely merited the latter classification.

Naruto turned when the captain cursed before spitting out, "That taniwha was a danger two months ago when I last went through this port. Why hasn't a guild been hired to exterminate it yet? We'll have to wait for it to get tired and leave before docking. This isn't going to be pretty. Taniwha only leave when they are injured or have managed to catch enough to eat. A port without a guild like them can only wait for the second to occur. Lot of dead, no doubt." He ended solemnly.

Sighing, Naruto rolled his shoulders as he declared, "Not on my watch. Not exactly how I planned to start out my day, but I'm not going to sit by while innocent people are eaten by a monster."

The captain raised an eyebrow at Naruto before questioning, "You a mage, boy?"

"Yep," Naruto replied simply.

The captain thought for a moment before claiming, "Then let's get to it. I'll be putting my ship in danger, but I too can't stand by while innocent people are in danger. We'll take the ship as close as we can, hopefully close enough for you to try and injure it enough for it to flee."

"No need," Naruto declared with a raised hand. The captain sent him a bewildered look. Naruto just grinned and drew upon his magic, and the familiar red cloak of magic was soon covering him. The energy then warped and changed till it formed two large, glowing red wings on his back. Naruto took a deep breath before grinning at the jaw dropped expression of the captain. He saluted with a cheeky grin on his face as he told him, "Thanks for the ride, but it looks like I'll have to use my own means of travel now. Ja ne."

Naruto then bent his knees and leaped up and the great wings on his back started flapping. Naruto shot in the air and soon angled towards the port. If anyone had been able to look closely though, they would have seen that Naruto's flight was far from smooth and stable. He was far from mastering this spell, one reason why he had taken a boat instead of flying.

Although Naruto had been taught both death and living magic by Zeref, this was his own inherent magic type. He called it Demon Magic, since it was magic derived from the Kyuubi's chakra. In essence it gave Naruto access to and control of this dense red magic. He could manipulate the amount he used, its shape, density, and even the properties of the magic. It really was a magic only limited by his creativity. Such as this spell. Simply form the energy into wings and increase the density, and he can fly. Although it takes a surprising amount of ability to not fly out of control. Even Zeref had admitted it was an incredibly powerful magic with a huge amount of potential. If the Kyuubi wasn't already gone, Naruto would have thanked it for giving him such an awesome magic by having its chakra be converted to magic.

Naruto quickly shut out all extra thoughts in favor of focusing on his flying. Every second it takes for him to reach the taniwha is another second where it is destroying part of a town and has a chance to kill innocent civilians. The flapping of his wings immediately sped up, despite the fact that he felt himself wobbling far too much for comfort.

Naruto soon reached the area over the taniwha, allowing him a closer look. This time was his first time seeing one. The taniwha had a dozen sickly gray tentacles, half of them moving its main body while the rest were whipping around, clearing the area around it and looking for any meat to devour. The main body didn't look like much. It was covered by a large brown shell which was used to protect its vital organs. There were no discernable eyes anywhere. It was thought that taniwha used smell to find prey and their sense of touch with their tentacles. Overall, it looked like a demented cross between a hermit crab and an octopus. The main body was around ten meters tall, and each tentacle stretched at least twenty meters.

The taniwha had clearly already done a number on the town. Around half the actual port was little more than kindling by this point, and the taniwha was now using its tentacles to knock down the brick buildings of the town. The destroyed area was distinctly lacking any bodies. Implying they were all eaten by the taniwha or hopefully everyone managed to escape. The latter option was unlikely though.

A scream grabbed Naruto's attention. He looked to see a mother running away from the taniwha while holding a small boy that was maybe five years old. Unfortunately, her scream also attracted the attention of the taniwha. Far faster then any civilian could hope to dodge, one of its tentacles whipped around in her direction. The woman saw it and screamed once again.

Moving as fast as possible, Naruto shot down towards the woman. As he dived, Naruto called upon more of his magic. He then focused the red magic towards his right arm. It formed in his hand and then shaped itself longer. Within seconds, the magic had formed a pure red longsword in his hand.

The woman crouched down while trying to shield the child as the tentacle descended. Naruto was just in time. Moving at such a high speed, Naruto just swung his sword and it easily lopped of the end of the tentacle. Unfortunately, he then had to worry about safely landing. He dispelled the sword and angled upwards right before he would have crashed headfirst into the ground. Pushing his hands against the ground, Naruto used that point of contact to change his trajectory. Front flipping through the air, Naruto's feet hit the ground with remarkable force. Cracks formed in the ground around the area, but Naruto's momentum didn't stop. His feet dug two shallow trenches in the ground as his previous momentum caused him to slide backwards along the ground. After ten feet, he finally came to a stop.

The woman looked at Naruto with wide eyes. He gave her a small nod while looking at the taniwha and said, "I'll handle this thing. Get to safety." The woman recovered from her shock enough to take his advice and quickly picked her child up and ran away.

As soon as she was away, Naruto cursed and grabbed one of his feet while hopping on one foot. That fucking hurt! His shoes had been destroyed by his landing, and his feet were pretty torn up from tearing through the stone street to create those two trenches. Oh well, at least his entrance was totally awesome. It would have been embarrassing to smash headfirst into the ground right after cutting off the tentacle, not to mention painful with how fast he had been going.

A warbled screech from the taniwha refocused Naruto. It seemed it had recovered from the surprise of having one of its tentacles cut off. Naruto narrowed his eyes and called upon his magic. He was quickly cloaked in the red energy. He quickly ducked one tentacle, and then jumped over a follow up one. Swinging one of his arms, Naruto formed a dozen shuriken or so from the energy and shot them towards the main body. They connected, but bounced off and dissipated with only a few scratches on the shell to show for it.

Naruto frowned at that. The shell was just as hard as he had expected. It would take a far stronger attack to get past it.

Seeing a tentacle coming towards him while he was still in the air, Naruto shot one of his arms to the side. The cloak reacted and formed an arm of energy that reached the nearest building. He then used that purchase to shove himself out of the path of the tentacle. Once his feet connected with the ground, Naruto jumped backwards to create some distance between him and the tentacles.

If the shell was too tough to easily breach, he'd focus on the exposed tentacles for now. Lifting his arms in front of him, the cloak shot forward from both arms. Each stream of red energy then separated to create a total of four. Naruto concentrated on them and guided them to the nearest tentacles. The streams expanded to form massive hands of energy once they were almost there, and with a grasp of his real hands all four of them grasped the base of the four tentacles. The taniwha immediately let out a weird shrieking noise as the corrosive magic burned and damaged the flesh that it came into contact with. It tried to pull away, but Naruto stuck his feet to the ground with magic and concentrated to make sure the massive hands kept hold of the tentacles. It quickly became a struggle between the two. The taniwha was trying to pull away while Naruto made sure his magic held. Naruto felt some sweat run down his face as he struggled with the monster. Trying to hold something this large in place was no easy task.

After a minute, something else ended the stalemate. Naruto's magic had literally eaten through half of the large tentacles, and the remaining flesh snapped from the strain being put on them. Naruto stumbled back at the loss of the counterforce. The taniwha screeched again at the pain of four of its tentacles being ripped off, but quickly moved backwards. No doubt it was going to flee. Naruto wasn't going to let it though. Even though five of its twelve tentacles are destroyed, it will grow them back in a few days. He needed to end this thing now or else it might attack again when Naruto isn't here to stop it.

Once he regained his balance, Naruto brought up a single hand. Palm facing upwards with his fingers curled inwards besides his pointer and middle finger, Naruto focused his magic and then tilted his wrist to his hand now pointed to himself. Immediately the water behind the taniwha rose up in accordance with the gesture. It quickly formed a large blob. A large purple magic circle formed above it. The magic circle then lowered, passing over the blob of water. As it passed through the water, the water underwent a transformation. By the time the entire blob of water had been altered, a new creature was there.

It was a creature made entirely of water, although it had a slight purple tinge to it compared to the water all around it. It had two glowing white light that looked like eyes, and a gaping maw for a mouth. It also had two somewhat formless arms. It didn't have any legs, its bottom merging with the water beneath it.

The water creature roared before charging forward and crashing into the back of the taniwha. The taniwha screeched in surprise. Not surprising. What is a sea monster suppose to do when the very sea rises up against it?

Naruto smirked at the sight. This was his skill in living magic. Living magic allowed him to breath life into inanimate objects, forming them to his will. Even Zeref had admitted that Naruto had surpassed him in living magic despite Naruto not having created anything as powerful as what Zeref had. No, Naruto surpassed him in control of his creations. Naruto was easily able to manipulate the intelligence, personality, size, magic power, and even the life force of his creations. Which was characterized in how Naruto was able to utilize it. He could utilize it in the middle of battle without worry. He simply lowered the intelligence of his creations to the point they are only able to act when given his orders, and tied their life force to be connected his magic. It was almost like he was just animating inanimate objects to fight for him. Once he had no need for them, he would cut the magical link between them and the creatures life force would fade and disappear. They had no intelligence or life force of their own. They are little more than puppets of Naruto. This way he didn't need to worry about creating any long lasting creatures like Zeref, whose demons had run rampant for centuries after he created them. Zeref had admitted to it being a brutally effective way of using living magic. Naruto could literally turn the environment against his opponents, as the taniwha was finding out.

Naruto rolled his shoulders. The water monster he created couldn't hold the taniwha forever. He had to use this time to come up with an attack to finally kill the taniwha. Thinking for a moment, Naruto nodded when he came up with the perfect attack to deal with the taniwha's shell. Curling the fingers of his right hand to resemble claws, Naruto then grabbed his right wrist with his left hand. Focusing magic to his right hand, Naruto concentrated heavily on manipulating the magic. The red magic started to move more erratically before it seemed to start sparking. A chirping noise arose from the magic. Soon Naruto's right hand was surrounded in a maelstrom of red lightning.

This was one achievement Naruto was proud of. While he had been hesitant to use a move that had killed him at first, the usefulness of the move soon overcame that. It had taken a while to master though. Changing the very properties of his magic had been a difficult thing to achieve, although it was so worth it. Technically, Naruto could have his magic imitate any element that he was sufficiently familiar with, although it was not actually changing his magic into elemental magic. Naruto hadn't quite understood until Zeref put it in a simpler way. Naruto could make his magic look like lightning, sound like lightning, feel like lightning, and even have the same properties of lightning, but it didn't literally become lightning. Just another way his magic was awesome. Where other people were limited to a single element, Naruto got a magic that could imitate any element he wanted it to. Even if it was very difficult to do.

He was getting off topic. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the taniwha and then shot forward at amazing speed, leaving cracks from where he had jumped off. Headed straight for the shell of the taniwha, one of the rapidly flailing tentacles was on a course to intercept him. Naruto didn't stop though, and a single swipe of his lightning encased hand lopped the tentacle straight off without any momentum being lost. Closing with the taniwha's shell and no more obstacles between them, Naruto drew his right hand back.

"Chidori-" Naruto yelled as he thrust his hand forward. The lightning encased hand pierced through the thick shell of the taniwha like butter. The taniwha thrashed and screeched in a panic as its shell was defeated. Naruto didn't jump off though. With his entire arm shoved through the shell of the taniwha, he added, "-Burst!"

Anyone with any ability in sensing magic could have felt the massive release of magic. The Taniwha froze as a sick squelching sound came from its main body. It tilted slightly before falling over, its tentacles unmoving.

Naruto grimaced as he removed his arm from the dead taniwha, showing that it was covered in a foul smelling yellowish gray liquid. He tried to fling it off. That was his own expansion on the chidori. Chidori Burst was a two part move. The first part utilized the piercing power of the chidori to destroy any defense. This was useful since many demons or monsters had very tough skin in order to protect from most forms of attack. Naruto added the second part since many monsters and demons are so large that even shoving his whole arm into them might not be enough. The second part involved releasing all the leftover magic in a single explosion of magical energy instead of just letting it dissipate. Hopefully damaging his opponent internally after bypassing any defense it set up. Case and point with the taniwha. First part pierced its shell, and the second liquefied its internal organs. Great move, but Naruto wished it didn't always leave his arm soaked with the liquefied organs of the victim.

Cutting the link with his water monster, it fell apart. Naruto walked away absentmindedly, focusing on using his magic to burn off the gunk from his arm. It was starting to smell.

"You did it!" a voice exclaimed. Naruto looked up to see a pretty average middle aged man running towards him. The man stopped in front of Naruto. He bent down and panted for several seconds before looking at Naruto and exclaimed enthusiastically, "This town can't thank you enough. You saved many lives, and much property damage."

"No problem. It wasn't a really difficult fight. Despite its large size, it wasn't capable of using any magic," Naruto remarked with a shrug. He then looked around before commenting, "And I didn't come quick enough to stop it before some damage was done." Which was true. Half the port was wrecked, and maybe a dozen or so houses and buildings were destroyed.

The man grimly nodded while looking around before looking back at Naruto and claiming, "Regardless. You've truly helped us. Your arrival kept the death rate in the single digits. We won't figure out the exact number who were eaten till we get more organized. The death rate would have been several dozen, without a doubt, if you didn't arrive. Not to mention the amount of homes you saved."

Naruto grimaced at knowing some had died. No point in uselessly saying he could have been here quicker though. Instead he looked at the man and questioned, "Why did this even happen? The ship captain I was riding with said the taniwha has been a problem for months. That is more than enough time to get a guild to deal with it."

"Trust me, I know," the man declared, visibly angry. He quickly explained, "Our mayor refused to pay for the mission once the officials announced it would be an S-class. Said that if we wait, it would just move away on its own."

"That's stupid! Everyone knows taniwha don't ever move once they settle down," Naruto stated bluntly.

"Yes, we very clearly knew that," the man claimed darkly.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. The mayor is definitely at fault. Towns pay a tax that goes into a fund specifically to pay for missions to guilds if something like this happens. The fact that the mayor still didn't request a mission from a guild indicates two things. Either he had dipped into the fund illegally and thus there wasn't enough money to pay for the mission. He then didn't want to admit his wrongdoing. Or he considered it his own personal fund to buy stuff and just didn't want to use that money for what it was actually meant for. Either way he is definitely at fault.

Naruto scratched his nose before commenting, "Clearly not a good mayor. I wouldn't want to have in charge of my town."

"We didn't either. We think he tampered with the votes last election," the man claimed before adding, "This is the last straw though. We aren't going to tolerate him any longer. Not after…this!" The man declared while sweeping his arm to indicate the damage and the dead taniwha.

"Do you need any help? If this guy has messed with the election and is illegally using funds, I doubt he'll give up the position without a fight," Naruto said thoughtfully.

The man looked like he was considering it before shaking his head and stating, "No. We should handle this ourselves. You've already helped us enough. Now is there anything we can do for you to repay you for what you've done for us today."

Naruto scratched his head before replying, "Well a bed to sleep for the night and a nice meal would be appreciated." He then looked at his bare feet and added, "A solid pair of boots as well. At that we'll call it even. I didn't do this for payment."

"Then you are a far greater man then we thought. As you can see, we are going to take a few hours to organize ourselves," the man said while gesturing around them to indicate the many people who had come around to see the damage once words spread the taniwha was dead. Most of them looked mad and confused, although many kept looking at Naruto. They didn't come over though, it seemed the man Naruto was talking to was well known and respected. The man then added, "I'll ask around and find suitable arrangements for you. It will just take a few minutes."

"No need for that, Bert," a voice called. Naruto turned to see it was the woman he saved. She was holding the hand of the boy from before. She approached and bowed to Naruto before informing him, "My name is Ledda. My brother owns an inn here. You, sir, saved both me and my child. I have little doubt he'll happily house you in payment."

Naruto looked at 'Bert'. The man shrugged, so Naruto turned to Ledda and replied with a nod, "Then I thank you for your hospitality, and humbly accept."

Ledda nodded her head seriously before turning to Bert and saying, "I'll handle him. You organize everyone to get rid of that fool of a mayor." Bert nodded seriously as well before walking away, leaving Naruto with Ledda and her son.

Naruto quickly smiled and asked, "So where are we headed?"

"It's a bit of a walk, but it's a nice place. Just follow me," Ledda claimed before turning and walking away.

Naruto just grinned as he followed. Once the trio walked far enough that they left the crowd of people, the kid pulled away from his mother and ran over before grabbing Naruto's leg. He then looked up excitedly and asked, "Ne, ne, onii-chan. Did you really defeat that big meanie monster all by yourself?"

Naruto just looked at the kid in surprise before grinning and exclaiming, "Of course, I'm actually pretty strong."

"So cool!" the kid said before backing off Naruto's leg and making exaggerated gestures as he continued, "You came in so fast. That meanie's leg was swinging at us, and mom went 'ahhh', and then you came in, and the leg fell off, and the big meanie went 'ghee', and you landed on the ground, and it cracked, and then you said totally cool like, 'I got this.'" Naruto blinked owlishly at the kid who was still talking without taking a single breath, frequently trying to change his voice to match what noise had happened.

Naruto finally laughed loudly and picked the kid up under his armpits. He then sat the kid on his shoulders, one leg on each side of his neck. The kid quickly grabbed his hair as a handhold. Naruto then asked, "Do you want to know how I defeated the big meanie?"

The kid quickly screamed happily and tugged on Naruto's hair to emphasize when he exclaimed, "Yeah, onii-chan!"

Naruto smiled broadly before launching into his own explanation on the battle between himself and the taniwha, with a surplus of exaggerations to make it more entertaining.

Ledda meanwhile chuckled while shaking her head after looking back at the two. It was like watching two children instead of one being entertained by an adult. Hard to believe a person like that could defeat a monster of that size with no wounds besides losing his shoes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx

"Ah, that really hit the spot," Naruto declared with a wide smile as he slammed a large empty mug on the wooden table.

"Heh, you can really put those down, youngin'. You'd make a good sailor with that alcohol tolerance," the old captain claimed. The captain of the ship Naruto had been on had docked a bit after the battle and ended up in the same inn as Naruto. The two had quickly started talking about the battle, which had then degenerated into a drinking contest.

"Of course, the great Naruto Uzumaki won't be defeated by a simple thing like alcohol," Naruto stated cockily…before he had to turn away to burp.

"Heh, you got the attitude of a sailor too. All you need is the mouth of one, and I don't think I'd give you a choice about joining my crew or not," the old captain said.

"Like you could force me to do anything, old man," Naruto commented before picking up another mug of beer. While he hadn't ever tried alcohol before coming to this world, he had since then. Zeref had made sure Naruto visited towns several times to practice socializing and get use to any custom differences. During those trips Naruto had tried alcohol before. While certainly not something he would want to do everyday, Naruto couldn't deny alcohol could be very relaxing.

"I recommend you two stop this conversation now before anything happens. Hero or not, if you start a fight in my inn I'll throw your ass out," a large bearded man claimed as he came over carrying a bowl. This was the owner of the tavern, and Ledda's brother. The inn he ran was clean and had good food, not to mention for a reasonable price, but he had an absolute rule of no fighting. Even Naruto wasn't immune despite saving the town.

Naruto waved his hand nonchalantly and informed him, "Don't worry. We're just joking around. Now, give me my ramen!" Naruto ended while grasping like an child towards the bowl the owner was carrying. Zeref never wanted to have to cook something like ramen, so Naruto had barely had the opportunity to eat the food of gods in the last five years.

The owner just handed the bowl over while shaking his head. His sister was totally right. This mage apparently is very in touch with his inner child. Why do all strong mages have some weird personality quirk?

As soon as the ramen was in his hands, Naruto was digging in while crying anime tears. Might not be on the level of Ichiraku ramen, but still damn good! If only they came in larger bowls. Naruto was done in under two minutes. With a burp, he set the bowl on a rapidly growing tower of empty bowls.

The old captain just shook his head before commenting, "I guess it isn't just alcohol. You just burn through everything that goes in that black hole you call a stomach."

Naruto just chuckled and retorted with a smirk, "You're just jealous because I'm so awesome." The response was another head shake.

As Naruto lifted his hand to order another ramen, he was interrupted as the door to the tavern burst open. A rather average villager rushed through. The man looked around before spotting Naruto. He moved closer and put his hands on his knees as he panted out, "We…need help. Mayor…hired two mercenaries. Attacked Bert."

Naruto's eyes narrowed as his mode changed to serious. His magic flared for a moment, burning away any lingering alcohol in his system. He then demanded, "Where?"

The villager looked alarmed for a moment at the change before pointing and saying, "The mayor's house is to the north. Most of the village is gathered outside of it."

Naruto nodded and moved out of the door in a blue. Once he was outside, he gave a momentous leap to the roof of a nearby building. He then started roof hopping to the north. Night had fallen, and Naruto saw a large glowing from in front of a large mansion that clearly didn't fit with the more basic town. That seems the right place. Changing direction slightly, Naruto hurried.

It only took Naruto a minute at that speed to arrive. He paused on top of the closest building to access the situation. Seems most of the town was gathered in a large mob, some of them carrying enough torches to light the area. The mansion was surrounded by a large fence to keep trespassers out. The mob was gathered in front of the gate in the fence, which was surprisingly open. The open part of the gate was blocked by two men, which Naruto figured to be the mercenaries.

The smaller one was bald besides a large braid on the back of his head which fell to the small of his back. It was a bluish black color. His face had several small red tattoos on it. He was dressed in a white with green linings Chinese top. His pants were green. His most notable feature was the large frying pan he was holding.

The larger mercenary had similarly large hair that was in four spikes. He had a orange and black headband holding it up. His nose was rather bulbous. He was wearing a blue and yellow shirt with an armband on his right arm. His pants were pure white.

Standing a distance behind them was the mayor, if Naruto had to guess. The mayor was surprisingly young. He had bright blond hair and a fancy mustache. Naruto guessed he could have even been called handsome at some point, but he had clearly fallen to excess a while ago. He had the beginnings of a large stomach, and his skin had a pale and greasy look to it that indicated a overabundance of fatty and sugary food in his diet, not to mention alcohol. His clothes were so fancy that Naruto would call them unnecessarily opulent. Naruto could almost feel the greed and smugness radiating off the man.

The mayor quickly spoke in an arrogant voice, "So unsophisticated. I'm glad I had the foresight to hire these mercenaries. This town clearly lacks the understanding to bow before their betters."

A voice soon spoke up. Naruto looked to see that it was Bert. The man had clearly been roughed up by the mercenaries. He had a gash near his hairline that was causing a trail of blood to form down the side of his face. The beginnings of a black eye were forming, and his bottom lip was split. The man still had it in his to yell defiantly, "Our better, yeah right. You're nothing more than a common thug."

The mayor didn't seem bothered when he countered, "A thug! How? You all elected me, and what a challenge it has been. Less commerce passing through the port, poverty increasing, taxes evaded, monsters attacking. Seriously, this town is so pathetic. I am the only thing holding this place together. If anything, you all should be thanking me."

"You are the reason things have been going worse. You are the one who increased the tariffs on ships passing through the port, causing ships to use other ports. Poverty has increased and taxes have been evaded because you doubled them to give you the funds to build this ridiculous mansion. The monster only attacked because you refused to hire a guild to exterminate it. All so you could hoard funds for yourself," Bert declared angrily.

"Well the previous mayor clearly had no sense of comfort. I work so hard for this place, it is only fair I have my just rewards in return. The monster. I just saved this town millions of jewels that would have been spent paying a guild. If that is all, this is getting droll," the mayor stated in a bored voice. He gestured towards them while ordering, "Disperse this crowd, Vanish Brothers. Use what methods you please. Rebellion must be stomped out quickly or it will just fester."

"Yeah, I don't think so," Naruto announced as he jumped in front of the crowd to face the 'Vanish Brothers' and the mayor.

The mayor didn't look alarmed. He just looked at Naruto without a care before commenting, "I assume you are the mage who killed the taniwha. I guess I should thank you. You saved me a lot of money by doing that, but I suggest you leave now. Mages getting involved in politics is frowned upon. You don't want me to inform the magic council of this, do you? I'm sure they wouldn't be happy. They might even act against you if they heard."

Naruto wasn't intimidated by the thinly veiled threat. He just chuckled and replied with a smirk, "Funny you mention the Magic Council. They are the government for mages, but what about _your _government. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Fiore have a law that say that part of all taxes and tariffs go to the government. For some reason, I doubt you submitted the proper documents when you raised the taxes and tariffs for the town and port. That would mean you are currently performing tax fraud. I wonder how the Fiore King would react to that. Why, he might even act against you if he heard."

That finally drew a reaction from the overly confident man. He glared at Naruto before hissing, "I suggest that you stop now. The Vanish Brothers specialize in defeating mages. You wouldn't want them to make sure you…'vanish,' do yo-kuh!" He was cut off by Naruto. He used his magic to form a small ball of his magic, about the size of a marble. Then a simply flick propelled it forward to collide with the forehead of the mayor. The fast moving ball made a surprisingly loud crack when it connected. The mayor fell back onto his ass and started rolling around while clutching his forehead.

"Trust me. I have no need to worry about these two making me vanish," Naruto claimed with a smirk.

The mayor sat up while still clutching his head, showing a small trail of blood running down his face. He quickly screamed, "That's it! Vanish Brothers! I want him bleeding and begging!"

The smaller one quickly mumbled, "Whatever." His apparent lack of care didn't stop him from leaping forward with the other just behind him.

Naruto had to duck to prevent him from being brained by the man's large frying pan. He then threw his arm out to deflect a kick from the larger man. He then had to lean back to cause a follow up punch to miss by a few inches. The smaller man tried to take advantage of his awkward position to swing down at his head with his frying pan. Naruto's hands clapped together to catch the weapon just a few inches before it connected with his nose. The man seemed surprised by that, but the larger man managed to recover quick enough to throw a kick at Naruto's side. Naruto leaned slightly in an attempt to dodge, but he still caught a glancing blow. It was enough to lift Naruto up and fling him through the air. Naruto calmly adjusted himself midair. He used his hand to press off the ground, keeping him airborne long enough to flip so that his feet hit the ground first.

"Impressive strength," Naruto admitted out loud.

The larger man smirked before declaring loudly, "Of course! We work ourselves physically everyday to become stronger and faster."

The smaller man then added, "That is why we can always defeat mages. Mages focus so much on their magic that they neglect to train themselves physically."

"That's stupid," Naruto deadpanned. He then explained, "Any high class mage, or even middle class mage, knows how to use magic to enhance their strength and speed. Get it. Mages don't technically need to train physically, although it certainly helps if the mage wants to become really powerful. They can just use magic to do it for them. When I said impressive strength, I meant for a normal person. It is actually quite pathetic compared to a mage of my level. The fact that you guys don't know this means you must have only been fighting lower class mages. The dregs of the magic world."

That seemed to piss the two off. The larger one quickly spat, "Yeah right. We'll show you. Let's do that, aniki."

The smaller one quickly nodded and said, "Yes, we need to show this bastard mages aren't all that."

Naruto didn't react besides saying, "You guys also forgot one crucial thing."

"Oh yeah, then show us this crucial thing, and we'll show you our best move. No mage has ever gotten back up from this," the smaller one stated cockily as he held his frying pan out in front of him to create a platform. The larger one quickly jumped on it. The man then continued by declaring, "This is our combination of heaven and earth. Our ultimate mage killer. Heaven and Earth Extinct Slaying Attack."

Naruto watched curiously as they did the move. The two moved in synchrony. The smaller one lifted the frying pan, using it as a springboard to enhance the jump of the larger one. Naruto's eyes were drawn to the man up in the air. As his eyes left the smaller man, he leaped forward while swinging his frying pan at Naruto while yelling, "Look to heavens, and be attacked by earth."

The attack was stopped in its tracks though when Naruto's cloak of magic emerged from his body without warning, catching the frying pan before it could connect with Naruto. Naruto looked at the shocked man before commenting, "Magic, that is what you missed. It can be a pretty big game changer."

The man looked surprised, but it quickly changed to a smirk. Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion before he heard, "Look to the earth, and be attacked by heaven." The was the larger one, who threw a kick as he fell towards Naruto.

Naruto didn't even look away. His hand just shot out and caught the kick of the large man, a shockwave emanating from the point of contact. Naruto just smirked and announced, "See, magic enhanced strength is quite useful."

Naruto didn't give them a chance to respond. He used his grip on the larger man's foot to swing him like a club into the smaller man. The two of them went flying before landing in a heap. Naruto then grabbed the handle of the frying pan, which was still caught in his cloak. Pulling it free, Naruto then chucked it at a high speed. It collided with the larger man's forehead, who had been struggling to his feet while cursing. He fell back, seeing stars. The smaller man cursed at his companion's fall. He quickly displayed surprising strength by hefting the larger man onto his shoulder before also grabbing the frying pan. He then turned to run.

"Wait! Where are you going? You are suppose to protect me!" the mayor screamed in a panic.

The smaller man just scowled before claiming, "I know when to quit a job. Not like I enjoy your presence at all. So, you're on your own." He then jumped over the fence and fled.

The mayor just raised his hand helplessly, as if that would bring the mercenaries back. He then turned to Naruto and stuttered out while backing up, "H-Hey, w-we can talk about this. I have money. N-Name your price."

"You going to jail," Naruto intoned seriously before flinging his hand out. His magic responded and shot towards the mayor. In the short distance between the two it shaped itself into several pure red chains. They hit the mayor before moving like snakes. Within moments, the mayor was on the ground with his arms and legs thoroughly chained.

"Hey! You can't do this! I'm the mayor. Do you know who I am?! I have a lot of friends who will make you regret t-guk!" the mayor screamed before Naruto rolled his eyes and flicked his wrist to create another chain. This one wrapped around the corrupt man's head and mouth to gag him. So he just laid there, mumbling out curses.

Naruto turned to see Bert coming closer while having another man help support him. He quickly spoke in a slightly pained tone, "Looks like this town owes you twice now."

"And just like before, it is no problem. That wasn't really a difficult fight at all," Naruto stated without any care.

"Then I have to say one more, you are a better man then we expected," Bert said with a chuckle before grimacing as his wounds throbbed.

Naruto frowned and said, "Here, let me help."

Holding his hand up, his red cloak emerged before moving towards Bert. The man panicked for a second, not surprising since he had seen what his magic could do, but relaxed when it engulfed him without hurting him. His eyes then widened as he felt the pain disappearing. Naruto watched calmly as the cuts and bruises on Bert's face sizzled close with only a bit of steam resulting. Once they were gone, he dispersed his magic to show an unharmed and healed Bert.

The man felt where one of the bruises were before looking at Naruto with awe and announcing, "Well I'll be. A magic capable of both killing a taniwha and healing. Quite a useful magic you have there, young man."

"Thanks. I'm glad this power of mine can ease the pain of others just as easily as it can destroy," Naruto claimed seriously. He'd never quite forgotten that this magic was derived from the Kyuubi's power, and everyone in Konoha knew about how much damage the Kyuubi was capable of. When Naruto learned he could heal with his magic, he'd been so happy. He'd never said so, but he'd been jealous of medics like Tsunade. They could help people so easily, while Naruto had been restricted to simply destroying because of his lack of chakra control. Now he could do both. Especially when he also wielded death magic, a magic clearly only capable of death and destruction.

Bert looked surprised by the solemn look in Naruto's eyes, but still nodded before asking, "So is there anything else we can do for you in exchange for the help you have given us?"

Naruto easily snapped out of his somewhat depressing thoughts and exclaimed, "How about free ramen for tonight?"

Bert blinked before shrugging. Who was he to deny such a request? After all, how much ramen could one person eat? He quickly replied, "Sure."

"Great! I was short on money, but now I can eat as much as I want. I'm going to have twenty bowls, no thirty. You know what, I'm feeling particularly hungry. I think I'll have forty," Naruto declared with stars in his eyes while Bert sweat dropped. Maybe he should have refused? It was too late now, considering the sparkles now forming around the ecstatic Naruto.

**There it is. Hope you enjoyed it.**

**The taniwha. I just looked up names for ancient sea monsters and then made it look how i pictured it. No mention of something like this having existed in canon, but don't particularly care. I can't restrict myself to just canon monsters. For anyone who didn't understand how taniwha came to exist, i'll do it simpler here. They are like the King of Beasts. Since i doubt there is an entire King of Beasts species, i'm going to make it that sometimes magic warps regular animals to create these sort of creatures. Generally rare, they are also usually stronger than most beasts or creatures. Get it?**

**You also found out about Naruto's third magic. Demon magic. Not too original name, but i don't really care. If you want to imagine it, it is like a red version of Naruto's first Bijuu cloak, just no black lines over his body. I also explained how Naruto utilizes living magic. PM me if you have any questions.**

**I think that is all. I'm still keeping the harem a secret. Right now i'm planning on updating Artificial Sekirei next.**

**Please review and tell me what you liked or didn't like.**


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